1931 National League Retirements

The baseball torch is passed from season to season and in some cases, from game to game. In 1911, Cy Young pitched his final Major League game, lost 1-0, and ended the final season of his career with a losing record of 7-9 and an ERA of 3.77. Young's opponent that particular day was a first-year pitcher named Grover Alexander who received the win, added to his league leading shutout total, and went on to begin his career with a winning record of 28-13 and an ERA of 2.57.

Bob Gibson, who was easily one of the most intense competitors of all time, gave up a grand slam to the last Major League hitter he faced, Pete LaCock of the Chicago Cubs. Fifteen years passed and when the two faced off during an old-timer's game, Gibson hit LaCock on his back with a fastball.

Babe Ruth summed it up when he responded to a question about retirement by saying, "A ballplayer should quit when it starts to feel as if all the baselines run uphill." Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a comprehensive list of National League League players who hung up their spikes in 1931.

"You are George Brett and all the cheering has stopped. The music is muted, the hour is late, and they will be taking the banners down and emptying your locker any minute now. As the late Jimmy Cannon would say it, 'All your bats are broken.'" - Broadcaster Jim Murray
 

National League Retirements

1931

n/a Al Bool Boston Braves C 34
n/a Buster Chatham Boston Braves SS 30
n/a Bill Cronin Boston Braves C 29
n/a Bill Dreesen Boston Braves 3B 27
n/a Bill Hunnefield Boston Braves 3B 33
n/a Freddie Maguire Boston Braves 2B 33
n/a Ray Moss Boston Braves P 30
n/a Johnny Neun Boston Braves 1B 31
n/a Johnny Scalzi Boston Braves PH 25
n/a Earl Sheely Boston Braves 1B 39
n/a Pea Ridge Day Brooklyn Robins P 32
n/a Earl Mattingly Brooklyn Robins P 27
n/a Ray Moss Brooklyn Robins P 30
n/a Denny Sothern Brooklyn Robins OF 28
n/a Jimmy Adair Chicago Cubs SS 25
n/a Les Bell Chicago Cubs 3B 30
n/a Footsie Blair Chicago Cubs 2B 31
n/a Les Sweetland Chicago Cubs P 30
n/a Clyde Beck Cincinnati Reds 3B 32
n/a Nick Cullop Cincinnati Reds OF 31
n/a Ray Fitzgerald Cincinnati Reds PH 27
n/a Edd Roush Cincinnati Reds OF 39
n/a Frank Sigafoos Cincinnati Reds 3B 28
n/a Ed Strelecki Cincinnati Reds P 27
n/a Lena Styles Cincinnati Reds C 32
n/a Bill Hunnefield New York Giants 2B 33
n/a Bill Morrell New York Giants P 39
n/a Emil Planeta New York Giants P 23
n/a Buzz Arlett Philadelphia Phillies OF 33
n/a Gene Connell Philadelphia Phillies C 26
n/a Fred Koster Philadelphia Phillies OF 26
n/a Dutch Schesler Philadelphia Phillies P 31
n/a Ben Shields Philadelphia Phillies P 28
n/a Bobby Stevens Philadelphia Phillies SS 25
n/a Lil Stoner Philadelphia Phillies P 33
n/a Frank Watt Philadelphia Phillies P 29
n/a Hal Wiltse Philadelphia Phillies P 28
n/a Andy Bednar Pittsburgh Pirates P 23
n/a Fred Bennett Pittsburgh Pirates OF 30
n/a George Grant Pittsburgh Pirates P 29
n/a Pete McClanahan Pittsburgh Pirates PH 25
n/a Bob Osborn Pittsburgh Pirates P 29
n/a Bill Regan Pittsburgh Pirates 2B 33
n/a Ben Sankey Pittsburgh Pirates SS 24
n/a Bill Steinecke Pittsburgh Pirates C 25
n/a Claude Willoughby Pittsburgh Pirates P 33
n/a Spades Wood Pittsburgh Pirates P 23
n/a Joe Benes St. Louis Cardinals SS 31
n/a Gabby Street St. Louis Cardinals C 49
1931 National League Retirements



Find out which players made their Major League debut in the National League during the 1931 season as this group of players bid farewell to their field's of dreams.

Did you know that future hall of fame pitcher Walter Johnson ended his Major League career in 1927 with a pinch-hit appearance? During the final game of the season pitcher Tom Zachary, who had just given up Babe Ruth's sixtieth home run of the season, was lifted and Johnson replaced him at the plate.

Goose Goslin played for eighteen seasons and averaged one-hundred twenty-seven games played per season. In 1938, during his final at-bat, he twisted his back and was replaced at the plate by a pinch-hitter for the first time in his Major League career.